Early, the morning of 29 April, my brilliant, generous, kind, and witty brother, Dave, quietly drifted off to sleep, having breathed his last. His arduous struggle with diabetes and wasting disease was over. Dave was 90. He was a battler.

Dave was born to Martha Josephine Baker (nee Miner). and Byron Edward Baker, on January 22nd, 1936, in Denver, Colorado.

Dave was a precocious child, he wrote his first poem at 8 years entitled “The Texas and the Mexas.” He graduated from Tivy high school with honors in 1954, was the student body president his senior year. He also lettered in basketball.

During his high school years, he worked afternoons at the Mosty Nursery, mentored by J. O. McKnight, and to hear their banter with heavy cockney accents was riotously funny. Following high school graduation, he enrolled at the University of Texas and graduated with a BA in English, with honors, but he was not finished and his education, somewhat erratically, proceeded.

There were many interruptions during his college years necessitated by the reality of economics. Following his first year, he worked at selling cooking ware in Mississippi and Missouri. Following his adventures selling “pots and pans.” he again enrolled at the University and worked as an attendant on the night shift, at the Austin State Hospital. Sometime, during one of those long night shifts, it occurred to him, as an epiphany, that life would be easier as a doctor and decided he would go medical school, He was admitted to University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School, Dallas. He graduated in 1966. After having served year’s internship he began his residency in psychiatry.

Following residency, he served 2 years on the medical center hospital staff, followed by chairmanship, department of psychiatry, John Peter Smith hospital in Fort Worth.

Dave and family settled in Denison, Tx where he established a highly successful psychiatry practice. Dave was an avid fisherman and an amateur sailor. He was always intellectually curious, was a voracious reader and a gifted writer.

Dave is survived by his wife, Mary; daughters Anne (Brian) and Kate; Anne’s children Adam and Will; younger brother Roger; Roger’s children Allan and Kathryn; sister Sue’s children Heather, Debbie and Mark.

Dave was a gifted raconteur could be endlessly funny. He will be missed.